Coffee Break

[Martin]

Another boring day at ‘Coffee Break’ coffee shop. Another day of my meaningless existence. I mean, who the hell gets a degree in Biology and then goes to work in a coffee shop? And for over two years?! Mid-June and this place still sucks, especially at 10am. I need a change. I need a new spark. I need a new…oh my fuck, he is fine!

I don’t say that very often, but what I wouldn’t give for a slice of that pie. 5ft 9, I’m going to guess. Fairly broad chest, a little skinny, gorgeous face, long legs, messy light brown hair, big hands, eyebrows a little on the thick side…now if I could only get a sight of that ass…

“Marty! Marty, stop drooling in the coffee pot and come meet the new employee!”

I snapped out of my thoughts to see my longest friend, William ‘call me Bill’ Beckett, grinning madly at me.

“Fuck you, I was not drooling. It’s not my fault I’m barely human today,” I grumbled, wiping my mouth just in case.

“It is your fault for drinking all that sambuca last night at Jack’s 22nd birthday. Who were you drooling over this time?” William asked, wriggling his eyebrows.

“That hot skinny guy right…” fuck, where did he go?

“You’re hallucinating now too? Nice!” William teased.

“Fuck you, Bill,” I muttered.

“I’ve already got Gabe for that, but thanks for the offer,” William winked.

If I have to hear another detail of William and his boyfriend’s sex life, I will smash my head against the coffee grinder, seriously.

“I need a cigarette,” I groaned.

“Not before you meet the new guy!” William said excitedly.

“Yeah, sure, whatever,” I yawned.

Checking that there were enough staff to cover us on the counter, (there are two others and we don’t have any customers right now), William grabbed my hand and dragged me out the back into the employers lounge. Well fuck me. There stood hot skinny guy, now wearing a ‘Coffee Break’ apron.

“Alex! I’m so glad you found your shit. That locker is yours and yours only, by the way. Okay, Marty, this is Alex Gaskarth, our new employee, fresh outta college. Alex, this is Martin, my bestest best friend in the whole wide world,” William said happily.

“Aren’t I lucky?” I said sarcastically.

Alex just giggled at William’s pout.

“You’re the manager, right?” Alex asked William.

“Mmhmm! Martin and I started here when we graduated college, but because he doesn’t give a shit, he didn’t get promoted like me,” William grinned, poking his tongue out in my direction.

“Like I would kiss Smithers’ ass to get up this chain,” I snorted.

“Who’s Smithers?” Alex frowned.

“He’s the guy that owns all the Coffee Break franchise. He’s rarely here though, so I pretty much run the place,” William beamed.

“Smithers likes pretty little boys like you, so it’s probably a good thing he’s not here much,” I added, smirking.

I smirked even harder as Alex’s face went a little pale, earning a smack round the head from William. Oww!

“Don’t scare him off before he’s even started, Marty. You’ll be fine. Stick by us, not Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dipshit out the front at the moment. And avoid the three cooks in the kitchen. They’re a little weird but they won’t bother you if you don’t bother them,” William reassured.

I sighed and ran my hand over my hair. If the kid’s going to work here, I might as well try to be a little nicer.

“Have you worked in a coffee shop before?” I asked Alex.

“Yeah, I worked in Starbucks while I was in college,” Alex nodded.

William hissed and I grimaced. Alex just looked confused.

“Starbucks is the root of all evil! Never mention them again while you work here!” William said dramatically.

“Ignore him. We just don’t like Starbucks. Uh, so you can make all the coffees and shit, yeah?” I asked Alex.

“Yeah, I can make shapes on top of them too,” Alex said proudly.

“At least that means we don’t have to do as much training,” I mused to William.

“True! I’ll just give you a tour of the store room, pointing out where everything is so you can get to it easier, and then you can start out front in time for pre-lunch!” William announced.

“Welcome to Riverhead, New York,” I smiled, “Hopefully it won’t be as shitty for you as it is for us,”

Alex nodded and smiled nervously. I left William to the tour, walking back out the front. Back to mind-numbing coffee grinding.

*

“Uh, Martin? Why’s the coffee machine beeping?” Alex said worriedly, handing a skinny latte to a customer.

“Oh that’s just my alarm,” I replied, quickly turning it off.

Alex turned to William, confused. William laughed. I ignored them and grabbed three take-away cups.

“Every day at half past 11, Martin makes 3 double shot americanos. He does the same at 2pm, along with a cheese and ham toastie on white, a tuna salad sandwich on brown and a bacon and brie baguette,” William explained.

“But why?” Alex frowned.

“Wait a second, you’ll see,” William mused.

I had just finished the three coffees, when a tall broad-shouldered guy walked to the front of the queue, ignoring the protests from other customers.

“$6 still?” the guy smiled.

“As always, Zack,” William nodded, taking the money and giving his change.

Alex stood still in confusion as I handed the coffees over, even more so as I smiled shyly.

“Thanks Martin. Have a great day,” Zack smiled at me.

“You too, Zack,” I replied warmly.

“Okay, what the hell was that?” Alex frowned, as soon as Zack was out the door.

“Two skinny lattes to have in, Martin,” William told me.

I nodded, starting the next order.

“That is Zack Merrick. He works in the Electronics Store just down the road. Martin’s been hopelessly in love with him since the first day he walked in these doors last year,” William teased.

“And he gets his coffee straight away because of it,” Alex realised, smiling.

I ignored them, my mind drifting to the first day Zack Merrick walked into my life.

“I need a French Vanilla Cappuccino. Again,” I muttered to William, writing down the order.

I took the money from the extravagantly-dressed man in front of me, narrowing my eyes, not smiling. French Vanilla Cappuccinos are pussy drinks. Double shot Americano coffee – now that’s a real man’s drink. As a wonderfully gay man, I’m allowed to say this.

“Smile, Marty, you’re scaring the customers,” William mused, flicking a stray straw my way.

I gritted my teeth but forced a smile onto my lips, looking at the new customer in front of me. Then I froze. Holy shit, this man is beautiful. Like, beyond all beautiful. Fuck, I haven’t seen him before. He must be new to town. Broad shoulders, messy light brown hair, pale green eyes, perfect face…and are those tattoos?

“Uh, can I get three double shot americanos to go, please?” he asked softly.

Oh my gosh. A real man’s drink. Finally!

“Of course,” I said warmly, “anything else?”

“No thanks,” he replied, smiling back.

I quickly wrote down the order and passed it along to William without taking my eyes off him. Fuck, he is so beautiful.

“That’s $6 please,” I told him.

He handed over a $10 bill, his fingers brushing mine slightly. I smiled slightly as my fingers tingled, smiling even more as he blushed a little. Fuck, if he blushes like that just from brushing fingers, I wonder how else I could make him blush…

“Keep the change,” he told me.

And it’s official. I’m in love.

“Thanks. Have a great day,” I beamed.

“You too…” he nodded, his eyes flicking down to my name badge, “…Martin,”

He knows my name. Holy fuck he knows my name. I had to break out of my funk as he moved down the counter and another customer took his place. Fuck, I hope he comes back in. If I never see him again…fuck, I don’t know if I’ll be able to cope!

I snapped out of my thoughts, quickly shaking my head to clear my mind. Zack has come in 5 days a week, every week, for the past 9 months. After the first month, I asked his name. But that’s as far as I can talk to him. I’m too fucking nervous to say anything. Every time I have his coffees ready, the same order, and I think he appreciates it. I fucking well hope he appreciates it. I get enough stick from William as it is.

“Just because I make his coffee, doesn’t mean I’m in love with him!” I whined, handing over the two skinny lattes to the big-nosed woman waiting.

“Martin, you’ve memorised his coffee order and his lunch order, and you have it ready for him before he even comes in. And you always put a kiss on his cup. If that’s not love for you, what is?” William said seriously.

I blushed. “Yeah…well…like he’d ever notice me anyway. This isn’t exactly a glamorous lifestyle,” I muttered.

“Aww babe don’t give up hope! He’ll notice you one day,” William reassured.

“Yeah, right,” I scoffed.

“French Vanilla Cappuccino!”

I sighed at the new order, before turning back to the coffee machine. There are some things that I’ve just got to accept in this life. One; my career will never amount to much. Two; French Vanilla Cappuccinos are for pussies. Three; Zack Merrick will never fall in love with me like I am with him.